Posted by John Admin

The LA Times has published a new interview with Harry Potter producer David Heyman about the challenges the cast and crew faced when filming the epilogue scene in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”

On the decision to not cast older actors to play Harry, Ron and Hermione:

“After all we have been through with these characters, the way that a generation has grown up with them, they need to be the ones on screen when it’s time to bring it to a close’ said Heyman, who was a key decision-maker back when Radcliffe and his costars were first cast in their roles back in 2000. “There’s an expectation ” even if it is not articulated ” that they need to be on the screen when it’s coming to an end.”

Why the first epilogue shoot didn’t work:

“Rupert looked like he was about 75 years old with the triple chin and the belly, he looked like he had really lived as a lush’ Heyman said. “We knew we needed to rework the makeup. There was another problem, too, shooting at the train station proved quite challenging for some of the younger kids who played the children of Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was really noisy every few minutes a train from Liverpool would pull in on one of the other tracks. We only had our one track closed.”

How re-shooting the epilogue scene at Leavesden Studios “made all the difference in the world:”

Heyman has said the hushed control of the Leavesden soundstages provided “the place to get the needed intimacy” but the timing also created the unexpected benefit of making the epilogue the “true” last scene made by the young stars. Film scenes are rarely shot in the same order they are shown on-screen but in this instance the farewell feeling brought an evocative gravity to the day.

“We should have thought to film it last in the first place’ Heyman said Wednesday. “It created a reality of sorts to the feelings in the scene and in the air. And I think now we’ve heard from the rest of the world that it worked. In the end, we used some shots from King’s Cross, too, to make a hybrid. There was a little bit of CG as well. The combination is subtle, which it needed to be.”

61 Responses to David Heyman Offers New Insight Into Challenges of “Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ Epilogue Scene

alexweasley12 says: first comment ! lol i saw this again last night, the first time i didnt cry, but last night i cried sooo much ! great job guys ! this scene was amazing !elanor17 says: I think Harry looked great and Daniel Radcliffe did a great job. the scene was actually better the second time I watched the movie. :)
Miss.Hermione says: Well I'm glad they used the same actors!!! That last shot of the movie, with the trio watching their kids leave for Hogwarts, with the original music in the background, it makes me cry every time I see it!!dragonfrog says: I think the epilog make-up job and performances for the trio is perfectly convincing, esp. for Daniel. Some people snark that Emma looks no different at all, but I disagree. Look at the photo. She looks like a 30something who has retained much of her looks, like I would expect someone with Emma's features to look to when she reaches 37. The make-up is subtle, but authentic.Mom Weasley says: Heck, the "kids" are so much older now, they should have realized that not much make-up would be needed lol.
Matea says: I agree, they really looked great. I'm quite happy with the epilogue.Despina says: It's a little awkward, to be honest: there was some sniggering in my theatre when we saw an older Dan with golden rimmed glasses...Despina says: I wonder if we'll ever get to see images from the first shooting session at King's Cross? Apart from the ones that leaked months ago!sindie11 says: I wouldn't expect them to have to look much older; you don't age that much between your late teens and mid-thirties.wandmastercalum says: They all looked great though Emma didn't look much different.SiriusGirl19 says: We'll in my opinion, I couldn't of asked for a better epilogue. You could definetly tell that it was the last scene they shot. I felt that heaviness of emotion in the scene. Saw it three times and that scene still makes me cry every time. Beazle says: Dan carried the scene pleasingly speaking lines directly from the book. Emma's make-up needed a little bit more ageing -not much -but a little. Bonnie looked OK(-thank God she did not need to act,) Rupert -as ever, just OK.Eeyore says: I thought they all looked great. I liked the last scene and I'm glad they made the choice to use the real Harry, Ron and Hermione (and Draco).
They made a lot of good choices through the years of filming all the Harry Potter movies, and it really shows in the last one especially.
Good on you, WB and Heyman, et al.lisamiamoore says: The epilogue was the only scene that disappointed me, sorry. I felt it was way too short. All the talk about Remus and Tonk's son, little Scorpio, Neville--absent. And the most important line in the book, "All was well" was absent. I really wish they had filmed it exactly as it happened in the book. Beazle says: How on earth could "All was well" be translated into a scene in a film ??????
After all, no one says it as dialogue in the book.jacket says: I think the epilogue was perfect, it really gave a feeling of "this is just right" I couldn't have asked for a more perfect ending. HogwartsForever says: Persona;;y, I didn;t mind that they left out Tedy Lupin and other little bits. I think it was the right decision to have it all about the Trio and their kids.Gene L. says: Emma didn't looks that much different... I wonder why.Mom Weasley says: "All was well" could have been easily added. Either a fade out to dark screen upon which that final line would appear, or, as would have seemed natural for him to do and a nice closure, Ron could have quietly drawn Harry aside and asked (almost like when they met in the first film on the train) "So, umm, the scar? Anything?" and Harry could have just smiled and said "No. All is well."wallflower1971 says: I would have been so upset if they had used different actors over Dan, Emma and Rupert. I think the epilogue scene was really good.WON_TWO says: I would have been absolutely flippin freaked out if they did not use the original 3... After all, if they can cg Voldy's schnozz they could have cg'd the aging... As it turned out, the makeup looked just fine! TheGryffindorFox says: I don't think the All was well line would have worked in the film and to be honest I found it an awkward line to end with in the book. Surely a writer of Rowling's talent could have come up with something better than All was well? I love her books, but I really don't like those words, they sound so twee and unoriginal.TheGryffindorFox says: And I thought the epilogue scene was really good, like we'd come full circle and were back to the beginning again. I definitely had a tear in my eye!FinallyPJ says: The look on Harry, Hermione and Ron's faces really purveyed the meaning of "All is well". The calmness of the scene, no wary on their faces except for having to say goodbye to their children. But that one last close up..you get that feeling that all is well. eru says: The scene was indeed better the second time I watched the movie.graziboi says: I was really happy with the epiolouge, I loved that they used the music from the end of the first movie. I am wondering if they will include the original one or an extended version of it on the DVD/Blu Ray? I wonder why non of the interviewers have asked that. LunaLuver says: Using other actors would have totally ruined everything we've spent a decade watching. To me, the Epilogue was the best part, it was perfectly done. The aging was spot on (I mean you dont look like a hag in your late 30's people) and the word, per word from the book talk between Albus and Harry was truely beautiful. Yes I would have liked to see Teddy, but not doesnt ruin it at all. I cried my heart out seeing it the first, just looking at the picture makes me teary eyed, and I'm seeing it again tomorrow which I'm sure I'll be crying again.butterbeerbottle says: I really liked the epilogue and when it just zoomed in on the trio and ginny i had to hold back a sob!
Runwild101 says: I liked the overall scene in the movie, but I think they could have done bait more overall. kyrstalkris says: IT WAS AMAZING! (:halfbloodprincesss says: I'm kind of sad Teddy Lupin was never mentioned in the movie (except once when Harry is talking to Lupin in the Forbidden Forest and he says, "...your son...") and that James never mentions seeing him and Victoire. It almost makes it seem like Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione are the only ones who have kids.TheLostPotter says: I felt it could have been done better but I was still reeling from the satisfaction of such a high quality film. Let us hope Teddy is in the deleted scenes.Harry-Potter.fan says: The Epilogue was very short, but it was still a good close to the series. It made me cry :')rudy says: i was so happy it ended with the trio team were standing side by side at the end of the epilogue. i'm glad harry looks much older like james potter and ginny very much like lily as well. rupe a big belly? no way dude. he looks brilliant. i am so happy that i get to see this epilogue just the way it was on the book they followed. and no i didn't cry over the ending of this one.
LIVE LONG HARRY POTTER!Luce_depp says: great as it may have been - still pissed there was no teddy. Cut my favourite characters best scenes... and then cut their child... thanks man!girlatty1 says: Maybe having All was well written across the screen? Potters_pal says: I am glad they used the same actors because if you have properly followed Harry and the gang you'd be very familiar with their faces!!!George E Watson says: David couldn't end it any better then the way he did with the 3 hero's being the last thing we see GREAT JOB DAVID!!!!!!!!!!DollyHeat says: I think they should have showed some of the crowd staring and Ron's line "I'm extremely famous"! The makeup was just right, very believable and I have seen a whole lot of witches and wizards age from 17 to 36 in my lifetime.mscupcke says: i thought they did a really great jobValeria-Johanna says: I really liked it. The amount of ageing shown seemed to me to be spot-on. Now I'd love to know how they made Snape look 20-something in the Prince's Tale scenes.elanor17 says: I actually like the last line of the book and I would've loved it to be the last line of the movie as well. just written down after the final scene... but still I like the epilogue and the last shot with the three of them!TasyaWeasley says: I would really love to see the 1st shoot.Valeria-Johanna says: Why would they need to write 'All was well' across the screen? We have already seen that it was!ginnygirl423 says: I just saw it last night again. I loved it more than the first time.harrypotter4258 says: they did a great job :')Hermione_Rules says: I think the epilogue in the book was better than the epilogue in the movie. I still liked it though. I bet it's hard for the actors now that HP is done.girlatty1 says: They must have been glad when they got to take the old people makeup off.BriannaWazHere says: I don't care what anyone says, I loved the epilogue and know I will never be able to watch it without having a sinking in my stomach, just like when reading the epilogue in the books. I nearly cried just seeing the picture of all three of them on this article. hewy says: Am so glad they reshot that scene. The earlier photos that were leaked were asolutely dreadful and that's being kind. This was much better!!!KimberlyZ says: I thought emma looked exactly the same as an adult. teamtonks says: I'm still sad they didn't put Teddy into the epilogue especially as JK Rowling had said that he was one of the main reasons she'd written the epilogue. Although of course I did tear up as it zoomed onto the trio...the end of an era :)cjbg1980 says: I loved the scene, I hope the cut one ends up as extra footage on DVD when it comes out, my only complaint is I wish they would have shown Teddy.Radcliffe looked great.McGonnagrrl says: Though I thought the 'aging make-up' was ok, I was disappointed with the epilogue scene. What was missing for me was the friendship chemistry between Harry, Herminone and Ron. The way they interacted (or rather the way they didn't interact) on the platform made it look like they were barely nodding acquaintances. Is that what is supposed to happen to friendship when you become an adult?! I sure hope not. mencia says: they did a good job witht the make upazaadpotter says: The epilogue was really very touchy. I cried my eyes out seeing them all grown up. AvanelleWood says: I was so happy they decided to use the original actors for the epilogue. I thought they looked okay, although Rupert's tummy made me laugh. But seeing as how Ron loved to eat, the belly was appropriate. I agree with previous posters that it really would have been super to see Teddy all grown up. Harry89 says: I absolutely LOVED the way the series ended. It was superb. I gets me every time.ilovequiddichsofi says: I thought they were going to use their parents or something, but i'm glad they didn't. I <3 itmaxpower says: I think they looked great! Lord knows I can relate to the way they aged Ron.I dont look anything like I did at 17! I have in fact aged 17 years and I think they looked close to it.Giant Squid says: It was great! I loved it!